


Signs in the Cold

by renegadejaybird (vitious)



Category: Nightwing (Comics), Under the Red Hood
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-31
Updated: 2012-12-31
Packaged: 2017-11-23 02:09:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,689
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/616905
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vitious/pseuds/renegadejaybird
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Xmas Present Prompts: Speaking without words - Words did always seem to ruin everything between them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Signs in the Cold

Oddly the winter chill never seemed to keep people from doing crime in Gotham.  In fact, crime seemed to skyrocket, something which irritated him to no end.  If they were going to break the law, couldn’t they do it when it was warmer and during a time of year that wasn’t quite so glittery and cheerful?  However he had to job to do and he had to do it, despite the fact that he just wanted to be back home in his nice warm bed…  
  
However being away from his safe house gave him plenty of time to think, plenty of time to avoid certain vigilantes that tended to ruin his evening.  He’d decided that being part of the ‘family’ was far too much work after a handful of rejections and sad looks, looks that said they were disappointed in who he’d become.  One of them had accepted him for a time, into his heart and his bed, but even that had died in the chill winter.  Now he was left alone with an empty bed and a sour taste in his mouth, going back to the way that he’d been before; there was no point in even trying to be ‘better’ anymore, after all.  
  
Jason dropped down behind a warehouse, tilting his head to peer through a darkened window, only to do a double-take.  Freshly drawn in the glass was a small, crude version of the Nightwing symbol, immediately causing him to whip his head around, scanning rooftops and corners, but there was nothing.  Frowning behind his helmet he took another look inside the warehouse, eyes narrowing a little before he cautiously slipped around the front and noticed the door was already open, the thugs already unconscious and tied together.  There was a note pinned to one of them and when he removed it and flipped it open, it had a simple heart with a ‘911’ neatly printed it; he’d called the cops.  
  
With a soft growl of annoyance he bolted from the warehouse and climbed up onto the nearest roof.  He heard the sirens onto a few seconds later and hunkered down in the roof, glancing around the area, searching for Nightwing; he couldn’t have been far and he didn’t like being toyed with.  His mind wandered back to the symbol on the window, the one he’d seen hundreds of times on the windows of his safe house, hating that it could still make him nostalgic.   
  
_“The fuck is that thing on my window?” Jason muttered, tossing his helmet on the couch, looking annoyed at the grinning vigilante occupying his favorite chair._  
  
 _“It’s my symbol.  To let you know when I’m here.” Dick answered simply, grinning.  “I was just testing to see if you’d notice it.”_  
  
 _“Why wouldn’t I?  It’s pretty damn obvious.”_  
  
 _“Only to people like us.”_  
  
 _Jason simply scowled and approached his chair, arms crossed over his chest, and stared down at his… Whatever he was.  A fling implied no intention of repetition, a lover was too intimate, and boyfriend… No, definitely not.  Dick was wearing an oversized sweater and a pair of his yoga pants, smiling up at him like he was the best thing in the world, causing the younger man to frown and glance away, uncertain.  He felt a gentle tug at his pants, causing him to look back at the older man, swallowing thickly at the look of concern on his face._  
  
 _“If you come over, maybe draw a J on my window for me?” Dick questioned softly, not smiling anymore._  
  
 _“I… Yeah, I guess that works.  If it’s cold.” Jason admitted, offering a weak smile; he was bad at smiling._  
  
Jason had never visited.  In fact he’d very rarely even met the other man half way, so it shouldn’t have surprised or hurt him when Dick stopped showing up.  Despite that, seeing the other man’s mark on that window set him on edge, had him finally moving once the cops were occupied, leaping from roof to roof, searching, only to pause and do a double-take.  There was another window with another symbol on the opposite roof and he stared at it for a long moment, his throat working as he warred with himself.  
  
If he chased after the other man, followed him, he knew where it would lead.  However if he didn’t… Perhaps maybe Dick could find some better, some less likely to string him along and use him for sex.  Jason bowed his head, indecisive, balanced precariously on the edge of the roof, tempted to just stay there the rest of the evening and not do either.  That had been his problem before, though, so he knew he needed to make a decision.   
  
_“I don’t want anyone else, Jay!  Is that so hard for you to believe?”_  
  
“Yes.” he breathed aloud to himself, throat working as he swallowed.  
  
In retrospect he’d done nothing but take from the other man.  There had been no compromises, no overnight stays, no talks, nothing that would actually keep the other man around.  At first he’d told himself that he’d been relieved when Dick had stopped showing up at his Safe House but restless nights and constant nostalgia told him otherwise.  Unfortunately, apparently, admitting that he missed someone took more spine than he had, something that he’d come to accept, thus Dick had given him one last shot; he was a saint for still trying.   
  
Jason glanced back in the direction of his Safe House, warm, secure, and empty, then back to the symbol that was disappearing in the cold, and took a chance.  He shot his line and followed the direction that the arrow just beneath the symbol pointed, watching carefully for other symbols, other signs as to where the other man was waiting for him.  Finally he came to a familiar apartment building and dropped down into the fire escape as quietly as possible.  There were no lights on inside, which either meant that the other man was asleep, unlikely, or he was waiting for him outside the apartment somewhere; perhaps he was finishing patrol and was going to see if he came home to an empty house or not.   
  
Heaving a sigh, Jason reached out and used two fingers to draw a ‘J’ in the frost on the glass, before he began to disarm the alarms he knew were there.  He slipped inside and closed the window behind him, not even bothering to re-arm the systems, and removed his helmet, setting it on the dinner table which was covered in take out menus and bills.  With a soft snort he began to move through the apartment, memorizing how it was laid out, looking at the pictures on the wall, attempting to distract himself from leaving.  Finally he made his way to the bedroom, pausing in the doorway, staring at the scattered clothing and rumpled sheets, and his chest tightened.  For a moment he stood there, his hand gripping the frame of the door so tight it creaked, fighting with himself, telling himself not to leave, when all he wanted to do was run away from that bed, the apartment, everything.   
  
“Jay.” Jason’s head whipped around, staring at the other man who was in the entrance to the hallway, looking uncertain. “I… Didn’t think you’d come.”   
  
For a long moment, the younger man didn’t say anything, his mind racing, before he gave a soft snort, forcing himself to be nonchalant. “Well, I’m here.”   
  
Dick stared at him from the lenses of his mask, unreadable, for a few silent moments before he finally moved to stand next to him, his footsteps hesitant.  Jason didn’t move, silently staring at the acrobat, waiting, before he realized, suddenly, that that was exactly what had ruined everything the last time.  Thus, swallowing thickly he relinquished his hold on the door frame, turning and moving to rest his back against it instead, keeping his hands at his sides.  Dick’s lips quirked a little as he slowly stepped into the other vigilante’s space, his eyes locked on his, as if silently asking if things were okay.   
  
“Dick—” Jason began, only to be silenced by a gloved finger pressing against his lips.   
  
After a moment the older man’s hands moved to curl around Jason’s shoulders, gently holding before he leaned in and tucked his face in the crook of the taller man’s neck.  For an instant Jason froze, going tense, before he slowly forced himself to relax, letting out a slow breath, mentally wondering why such simple contact was so difficult for him.  Deep down he knew the real answer but, really, he didn’t want to look at it too closely, not when he was attempting to be calm.  Hesitantly he lifted his arms and slid them around the acrobat, his hold gradually tightening, resulting in one of Dick’s arms curling around his neck.   
  
They were silent for a while, something that was difficult for the younger of the two considering that he tended to run his mouth when he was nervous or anxious.  Before he could give in and talk, however, Dick pulled back to look at him, then his bed, then back against in silent question.  Jason’s brows furrowed a little, looking confused as he glanced at the bed, resulting in a soft laugh from the man that was, surprisingly, still in his arms.  
  
“I… I’m tired.  Let’s go to bed, okay?  We can talk in the morning.” the older man murmured, slowly pulling away from him.  
  
“Just like that?  After—” Jason began feeling uncertain, confused.   
  
“Yeah, I just…”  Dick trailed off before shaking his head.  “I was being stupid.”   
  
That comment earned the acrobatic an incredulous look. “You?  I—”   
  
“Maybe we were both a little stupid but…  I don’t really want to talk or…”   
  
Jason gave a small nod in understanding, gently pushing Dick towards his closet.  “I… Yeah, that works.  We can do that.”   
  
Dick’s smile was so honest and hopeful that it brought back that dull ache in his chest.  “I—Thanks.  I really…  I’m glad you’re here— Tonight I mean.”   
  
“Yeah.” Jason murmured, moving to hang his coat up by the door.  “Me too.”


End file.
